The Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB) today published its Annual Report 2024–2025, highlighting significant progress in rebuilding trust in the Irish retail banking sector, advancing national financial literacy initiatives, and strengthening partnerships that are transforming customer outcomes.

Trust in Retail Banks Enters Positive Territory for the First Time

The IBCB’s éist 2024 Public Trust in Banking Survey reports a landmark improvement as public trust in retail banking has moved into positive territory for the first time since measurement began in 2021, rising 16 points among the general public and 33 points among SMEs. These gains reflect broad improvement across all four trust drivers—Ability, Dependability, Integrity and Purpose—and a sustained commitment by AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB to cultural reform. At a local level, trust in retail bank branches increased from +9 to +23 points, further demonstrating the impact of enhanced customer services and community engagement.

Financial Literacy Achievements Delivering Real Impact

In 2024–2025, the IBCB intensified its leadership in financial literacy and inclusion, delivering targeted programmes that reach groups most at risk of financial exclusion. The key initiatives included:

Financial Resilience Training for Marginalised Young People, a programme developed with Think-Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC) to upskill youth workers and launch a Youthreach module for early school leavers, equipping young people with practical financial skills. Attendee evaluations rated the programme 78% “excellent.”

Through partnerships with TASC and Safe Ireland, the IBCB developed Financial Wellbeing Training for Survivors of Domestic Abuse, training more than 100 key workers to support survivors facing the implications of coerced debt, account access barriers, and financial insecurity. This initiative has the potential to benefit up to 15,000 women and children in Ireland who access domestic violences services each year.

Furthermore, the IBCB contributed to the Department of Finance’s first National Financial Literacy Strategy, positioning literacy as a national priority and continuing to advocate for initiatives that assist vulnerable communities with financial inclusion and literacy.

Partnerships Strengthening Trust and Customer Outcomes

The report also outlines IBCB’s collaborative model leading to meaningful change across the sector in the period. Additional partnerships highlighted in the report include:

• Engagement with farming organisations representing 100,000 farmers, improving clarity around credit processes and customer contact points
• Joint initiatives with the Small Firms Association to improve SME access to staff, credit, and financial supports
• Collaboration with inclusio Learning Labs to introduce inclusive communication training across the retail banking sector, improving staff and customer experience

These partnerships have materially contributed to the increased trust reported in 2024, particularly among SMEs and customers requiring enhanced support.

Speaking on the publication of IBCB’s annual report, Mr. Justice John Hedigan, Chairman of the IBCB, said: “There has been real progress on rebuilding trust with the public, a reflection of the sustained commitment of the sector and its staff to cultural change over the past number of years. To sustain and accelerate this positive momentum, we must continue prioritising fairness, transparency, accountability, and proactive customer care.”

Marion Kelly, CEO of the IBCB, added: “Trust, once damaged, takes sustained commitment over time to restore. This year marks a significant milestone, with public trust in retail banking moving into positive territory for the first time since we began measuring it. Our strong focus on financial literacy and inclusion has been central to this improvement—and we remain committed to working with our member banks and stakeholders to build on this positive trajectory. We also continue to prioritise the importance that lessons learned from the mistakes of the past continue to be reinforced in our member banks and the wider sector.” For more information or to access the full report, please visit https://www.irishbankingcultureboard.ie/publications/2024-2025-annual-report/